UConn's Hartley bounces back with big game

Rich Elliott

Published 11:21 pm, Sunday, November 17, 2013

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Missed shots used to submarine Bria Hartley's confidence and cause her to pout. And UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma used to let her hear about it.

Those days are gone. It does not matter how inaccurate Hartley is during one particular game, she does not carry it with her. It is a trait of a senior leader determined to make plays to help the top-ranked Huskies succeed.

Hartley again proved her steely psyche Sunday at No. 13 Penn State. Less than 48 hours after one of the worst games of her career offensively, she produced of her best in delivering a career-high 29 points and added six rebounds, four assists and four steals in a 71-52 win before 8,194 at the Bryce Jordan Center.

"I usually try to put bad shooting games like Maryland ... I don't really think about it," Hartley said. "And coach always tells me, `You've got to be ready to hit the next shot.' And I think I've been working on that since I was a freshman.

"I know when I get a shot I've got to think it's going in every time. And my teammates finding me ... Stef (Dolson), they collapsed on her and she found me every time."

Hartley was 4-of-21 from the field at No. 8 Maryland Friday, missing all 11 of her 3-point attempts. She proceeded to miss five of her first six shots against Penn State and extended her run of missed 3-pointers to 14.

But Hartley never stopped shooting. She finished by making nine of her last 14 shots overall and five of her last eight 3-pointers.

Hartley matched her career-high with five 3-pointers and set a career high with 20 field goal attempts.

"I've had some great (guards), obviously," Auriemma said. "And if you mention her in the same breath as some of those other ones obviously she's ... We probably forget because she struggled last year, but not too many guys at Connecticut have made first-team All-American as a sophomore. And she did. And none of it surprises me."

Hartley, who has now scored at least 20 points in two of the past three games, had 19 points in the second half.

"I think Bria played great," UConn sophomore Breanna Stewart said. "We all know that she has that in her. We see it every day in practice. And the fact that she came in and knocked down big shots when we needed her was great."

Hartley further put her stamp on the victory when the Lady Lions used a 19-5 run to close to within 57-48 with 5:30 left. She answered by scoring the next eight points for the Huskies on a short jumper in the lane, following a missed layup by Stewart, and a pair of 3-pointers.

Hartley made another 3-pointer with 24.6 seconds left as she outscored Penn State 11-4 down the stretch. Her day was complete. And so was UConn's third straight win over a Top-13 opponent.

"I actually went to Kaleena (Mosqueda-Lewis, out with an injured elbow) when I hit like the first 3 (early in the second half)," Hartley said. "I said, `I need some something.' And I rubbed her hands. You've got to go out there and regardless of what happens, you've got to play and you have to be able to step up for your team. So I wanted to be able to do that (Sunday)."